1 Page CV or 2 Page Cv

LittleVoice

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I would have thought you might be better off with 2 pages, making sure that all the good, interesting stuff is on the first page. If you want to have it on 1 page you can save space by saying "References available on request" rather than giving contact details. This is often better anyway as it enables you to tailor your references to appropriate jobs (assuming you have a choice of referees).

I agree that including referee contact names and contact details is not a good idea. Because referees really should be aware of any approach that may be made to them (so that they can answer sensibly for the specific job applied for), you would have to tell them about every copy of a CV you issued with their name on - and a lot are likely not to get to the taking up references stage.

I'd suggest that "references available on request" is a waste of space, unless you really don't have anything interesting to put there - or even let the white space make the CV look nicer.

It's a given that employers will want to take up references. (Of course, if you have an application form which asks for references, you may feel differently about it but we are discussing CVs here.)

LittleVoice

lethal wrote: »

hey thanks for everyone who has posted, My one page CV contains:

- Personal Details
- Personal Statement
- Skills and Interests
- Employment History
- Other Work experience
- Education
- Additional Qualification
- Referees
......ALL ON ONE PAGE

Am i missing anything? Do you think I should spread it out over two pages?

I'm not sure what you mean by Personal Details. I've seen CVs with the names and ages of their children and whether they are at uni on some! You need to have contact details here but, unless you have reason to think it is important, don't include your age/date of birth or whether you are married.

Employment History and Other Work Experience can perhaps be combined under the single heading of Experience. Saves the space of a heading if nothing else!

Oldernotwiser

Little Voice, wasn't it simpler when there was a definite RIGHT way to write a CV? I can lend my clients various resources about CV writing and they often say completely different things! It's more interesting these days but more confusing. (We can agree to differ on the "References on request" bit).

LittleVoice

Oldernotwiser: Horses for courses!

(Actually, I think it always was - though there are much wider variations in the types. For example functional CVs.)

I confess to having had a 4-page CV in the long-distant past which summarised all skills and experience on pages 3 and 4. I then found an agency was only sending the first 2 pages (to meet their 2-page rule) and was asked questions at interview which had been answered on pages 3 and 4. It did show that you could get enough on 2 pages to get the interview!

lush_walrus

I thnk the thing to remember with CV's is that the person who picks it up will hardly ever read it. I am both an employer and an employee, and I can tell you for a fact I never read anyones CV from start to finish. When a CV comes in for a job I have available I am looking purely for the salient points. So in the spirit of trying to look at yours as I would at anyone elses I skimmed.

I really do not see the point in listing details of what it is to be a sales assistant. Everyone knows what Primark is and what a sales assistant is. If as a sales assistant you have done something as an exception that is relevant to the job you are applying for or shows some sort of progression, great put it in. If you have stacked shelves, been a cashier, etc then don't list those things out, all it does is mean that the person looking at your CV uses their decision making time on the nonsense and not on the parts you may want them to see.

The other thing that stood out is that it looked a little like you were trying to pad it out, the fact that you have delivered leaflets for 2 different political parties is for most of little interest and again takes up the persons time to read, and may mean they miss the useful part.

You don't say what sort of job you are going for, but as you are a student at the moment. I would say the most important thing for you is to emphase that and try to link anything you have done back to that or the position you are applying for, rather than the jobs you have done.

For example, if you are a marketing student and want to go into marketing. Think about how your experience has given you an insight into marketing. Leaflet delivering could then be listed as a general point, with a few key words to link it to marketing. Same with Primark, what did you learn from them about marketing strategies.

Do you see what I am trying to say? Every job can be linked in some way as valuable experience in the job you are going for. But, in a CV the idea is to make that the obvious point, not to expect the person receiving the CV to make the link.

Also, all of the jobs you list have very short lengths of time linked to them, my guess is due to you studying. But, get the months off and just put the year there. Whether you started in June or July is of no consequence and doesnt help your CV flow.

Hope that helps

crazy_chick_573

use https://www.workabout.org.uk it does it for you just type in your details and hey presto a professional yet free cv

Contains_Mild_Peril

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Apart from certain jobs with security implications (and these will normally have an application form), gaps don't seem to matter so much nowadays. So many people have experienced redundancy, caring responsibilities, gap years, returns to study and other breaks in employment that a continuous working history has become comparatively uncommon! Many people think that a CV shouldn't go back more than 10 years and whilst I don't totally agree with that school of thought you certainly shouldn't go into much detail before that time unless there's a specific reason for doing so.

Agreed. I think explaining gaps in one's employment history is a rather quaint and old-fashioned habit, almost as outdated as including "marital status".
Expectations do change over the years. When I was a student, a single-page CV was generally considered "wrong", and we were told 2-4 pages was "right". Nowadays, 4-page CVs are frowned on unless there are exceptional reasons for that sort of length, and for most, a maximum of 2 pages is considerd more appropriate.

Feisty_Fairy

Hi all

I am a recruitment consultant and so have some tips on how to get your cv noticed, first it should be modified for each position you apply for making sure that everything relevent is in the top part, (prospective employesr wont even consider you if they have to read all the way through to get to the relevent bits!)

Arial is the best font!

If your history is relevent then keep it!

here is a cv how it should be set up, this is how i always do mine and have always filled positions with them set this way! Hope it helps.


Also no need to put your nationality or date of birth on anymore.

Curriculum Vitae

Name 14595

PROFILE

I am a highly motivated individual with vast experience in finance, payroll and management.I have also been responsible for project managementwith the sourcing, purchasing, installing, and development of various systems. I am well organised, hard working, loyal, committed and enjoy a challenge. I work well on my own and as part of a team. I have the ability to communicate at all levels.


<U>KEY SKILLS

</U>
• Microsoft Word
  
• Microsoft Excel Intermediate and Advanced
  
• Sage Accounting
  
• Sage Payroll
  
• KVP Payroll
  
• Crown Time and Attendance
  
• Lotus Notes
  
• Internet
  
• Email
  
• I am very strong in IT and have the ability to pick new systems up easily.

CAREER AND ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE

2003 to Date witheld Ltd Payroll Controller

Decoma is a manufacturer of automotive components, employing about 800 people across four sites. Approximately 70% are paid weekly, based on clockings from a Time and Attendance system. The remainder are paid monthly.

• Managing all aspects of the payroll from start to finish including:
  
• Liasing with managers of all levels to resolve exceptions
  
• Managing the interface between T&A and payroll systems
  
• Reviewing and auditing individual payment records
  
• Preparing and managing BACS payment files
  
• Timely production and distribution of all wage slips
  
• Raising payments against all deduction accounts, and completing all associated returns
  
• Payroll and pension year end
  
• Production of management reports
  
• Weekly departmental sickness and overtime graphs
  
• Monthly analysis reports
  
• Weekly HR KPI’s
  
• Effective and timely problem resolution actions
  
• Completion of statutory annual returns and reports
  
• Implementation of pension scheme
  
• Payroll analysis and reconciliation
  
• Production of P11d’s
  
• Effective communication with Customs & Revenue and other bodies via telephone, email and letter
  
• Production of various reports from the T & A system
  
• Training of HR and Finance personnel in running the payroll
  
• Training managers in the use of T & A system
  
• Producing and updating working manuals
  
• Project managing hardware and software changes in both Payroll and T & A systems
  
• Liasing with I.T to ensure effectiveness and development of T & A and payroll system
  
  

<U>

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

</U>
• Responsible for successfully in-sourcing the payroll function in April 2004, saving the company £30,000 per annum bureau fees. Managing and implementing the project from start to finish.
  
• Responsible for significantly improving the profile of the payroll function throughout the organisation through:
  
• Better performance (fewer errors/quicker response to queries, etc)
  
• Pro-active approach to problem-solving
  
• Strong communication and inter-personal skills across all levels of the organisation
  
• Documenting all payroll processes and procedures
  
• Ensuring the payroll function satisfies Internal / External Audit & Sarbanes-Oxley requirements (segregation of duties / reconciliation of hours from T&A to Payroll systems / completeness of paper records, etc)
  
• Training of non finance employees to effectively manage their T & A system
  
• Training of both HR and Finance employees in payroll and t & a systems

1997 – 2003 witheld Financial/Payroll Controller

• Understudy to Managing Director
  
• Managing a team
  
• Co-ordinating all aspects of the payroll from start to finish including year end, P11d’s etc
  
• Responsible for financial side of the business including Producing monthly and annual management accounts
  
  
• Reconciling and analysing management accounts
  
• Creating financial reports for directors
  
• Fixed asset register
  
• Prepayments
  
• Liaising with accountants on year end audit and final accounts
  
• VAT reconciliation and payment
  
• All company payments
  
• Credit control including setting credit limits and debt collection
  
• Liaising with bank manager
  
• Liaising with insurance companies for the best deals
  
• Negotiating deals with credit companies
  
• Sourcing and implementing accounting and payroll system
  
• Sourcing and implementing vehicle management system
  
• Monitoring staff absence and sickness
  
• Setting up and managing personnel files
  
• Standing in for Managing Director in his absence
  
• Vehicle sales
  
• Communicating by telephone, email, letter or in person with employees, suppliers, customers, tax office, vat office, potential customers, competitors

1977 – 1997 Running Late Husbands Business

• Managing financial and administration side of building business including all financial and clerical aspects of a business.
  
• Producing Trading Profit and Loss Accounts
  
• Payment to employees

<U>

QUALIFICATIONS

</U>
• Institute of Pension and Payroll Diploma
  
• AAT Intermediate
  
• Five GCE’s
  
• Shorthand
  
• Typing

INTERESTS

Gym, Music, Reading, Cookery and Driving.

---

Hope that helsp someone!


Regards,


Feisty!

LittleVoice

Hi, Feisty.

BTW, are you based in Oxfordshire?

I guess the above example is what the small agency has been using in the time you have been working for them and it works for them.

However I would suggest, as was mentioned earlier in this thread I think, not to use Curriculum Vitae as the title of the document. It should be obvious that the document is a CV without wasting space on it. Because it is an agency CV, the name is not given (just a reference number) and neither are contact details (so that the client can't try poaching and to protect the applicant). For someone doing their own CV, the thing which needs to stand out is their name and that is what should be the first item of the CV and in the largest point.

The last three sentences of the Profile do not say anything that 100% of applicants would not want to be thought of as relevant to them (even if not true!). The specifics of the first sentence are better - but do you know anyone who isn't highly (or well) motivated as far as their CV is concerned?

If there is space at the end of a CV for Interests then I would make them more interesting by saying what sort of music and whether it was playing an instrument or attending concerts, and I'd put what sort of reading (eg science fiction - naming particular favourites or train-timetables because I enjoy planning journeys).

Oldernotwiser

I really agree with LV about the last three sentences on your profile; I don't think I've ever seen a CV where the person doesn't work well on their own and as part of a team!